The Seventeenth Month
by etontrainwreck
Summary: One snow-covered day in January, 1977, Sirius and the other Marauders make a plan to create one unforgettable prank for each of the seventeen months they have left at Hogwarts. While Lily and James' friendship blossoms, Remus gets his heart broken and Mary finds love, Sirius and Marlene come to an arrangement which will have consequences that neither of them could have predicted.
1. Animals in the Snow - January 1977

**Hey everyone! This is my first attempt at fanfiction, but I've read (and loved) loads of the work on this site. Blackinnon is my OTP, followed closely by Jily, so this fic features large amounts of both of them!**

**Hope you enjoy x**

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Hogwarts Castle on New Year's Day looked like something out of a fairy tale, its towers spiralling up into the mist, dusted with fresh snow from last night's storm. The air was still, and apart from the occasional flame flickering in one of the many windows, the castle appeared to be uninhabited. But beneath the silent exterior lived a continuous hum of activity and excitement, even on days such as these, when most of the students were home for the winter.

Sirius Black and James Potter were two of the few remaining Gryffindors, reclining leisurely next to one of the library windows. Exhausted but satisfied from the previous night's party, they worked sluggishly through the stack of books next to their seats. Sirius was the first to break the companionable silence which they had been enjoying for the last hour.

'Do you want to know what I think?'

James raised a practised eyebrow, used to his friend's less-than conventional opinions. 'Always, what is it?'

'We achieved a lot last year. The infamous Valentine's Day prank, the great indoor April shower, what was in my opinion our greatest end of year prank yet, and to top it all off a New Year spectacle worthy of literary recognition. Now, in our moment of glory-'

'Sirius, I love you, but you're waffling again. Remember what I said about getting to the point?' James tried to sound officious and exasperated, but the twinkling in his warm hazel eyes gave him away.

'The point, my dearest of followers,' continued Sirius dramatically, ignoring James' indignance at being called his follower, 'is that we have but 17 months left in this fine institution. I thereby propose that we make a plan. A plan unparalleled in its development and execution, depicting the 17 most INCREDIBLE PRANKS IN THE HISTORY OF MAGIC. ARE YE WITH ME?!' Sirius had been getting gradually more passionate with each word, and he finished on a roar, standing on his chair with one foot propped on the windowsill, looking down at James as if he was a crowd of thousands rather than a bespectacled teen. The teen in question, who had been listening intently for the majority of the speech, was now clutching his sides from repressed laughter.

'Mate', he wheezed, 'how many times do I have to tell you that your Scottish accent sounds like a hippogriff suffering from lycanthropy?' Sirius slumped back into his chair, pouting in disapproval of his enlightened speech's reception. James receded slightly, seeing the rejection in his eyes. 'It's a good idea though Pads, will need a lot of work but I suppose that's what Remus is for. We'll get started on it tonight, alright?' He never got his answer, because Sirius bounded onto him, enveloping him in cuddles, as if for a moment he had forgotten that he wasn't in Animagus form.

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That night, the common room was empty but for a single blonde, curled up with a book next to the fire. She sat there motionlessly, but in her mind the flames which danced in the background were laughing spirits, accompanying her through her dreams. She was so absorbed in her book that she didn't notice a solitary figure trudge through the portrait hole and make his way in her direction. In fact, she didn't notice him at all until he flopped onto the sofa next to her.

'Tired' was all he could get out, turning his head to face her with an expression of self-pity. She reluctantly separated herself from her novel, and surveyed the rugged youth beside her critically.

'Drinking again, Black?' She almost smiled at the familiarity of the scent of firewhiskey on his breath - for what was Sirius without alcohol? To her, he epitomised the party life of rule breaking, rampant sex and alcoholism. But he was also so much more than that, she admitted to herself as her eyes traced his clean-shaven face. He was autumn, with his playful attitude to life which made him so comfortable to be around. And she would never say it out loud, but autumn was her favourite time of year.

'Just a leetle', he replied, grinning sheepishly. 'Maarlene, why are you up here all aloney?' His words were slurred, but she could sense the seriousness behind them.

'Maybe, unlike you, I don't feel the need to get drunk every night. I partied last night, can't I read now?' She retorted, daring him to challenge her.

'But reading is done alone, and that's no fun.' He refused to let her win, knowing he sounded ridiculous but continuing all the same.

'You're not alone if you're doing it right, I have Anne with me all the time', she argued, gesturing to the title of the book which read 'Anne of Green Gables'. Sirius sat up.

'That's a muggle book!' He exclaimed, amazed. 'You're a pure blood! Where did you get that?'

'You know, you sound like one of those blood purists you ran away from', said Marlene drily. 'My best friend is a muggle born, remember?' He ignored her comment about his past, knowing she meant nothing by it; of all people, Marlene knew how hard he had worked to escape the awful reputation of his family.

'I've never read a muggle book, is it good?'

'Well this is one of the classics, so it's pretty old. It's my favourite though, I love how simple and happy it is! No wars, no death, just ordinary life. It's how the world should be.' Her voice was wistful, dreaming of a safer life, away from the horrors they had all been through in the last few years. Sirius noticed the sadness in her tone, and reached out in a moment of startling compassion, and softly tucked a loose strand of golden hair back behind her ear. Marlene stiffened at his touch, suddenly aware of their close proximity, but she dismissed the heat rising to her face as anger at the war. It's not like there was any other reason for her to be blushing, was there? 'Wow, how drunk are you?' She joked, laughing nervously. This was a side of Sirius she had seldom seen before, and she wasn't sure whether she liked it or not.

'Am I not allowed to comfort my buddy? Come on Marls, at least I wasn't feeling you up!' He winked, and Marlene felt a rush of relief. This was the Sirius she knew and loved; this was the Sirius she understood. Even so, she felt the need to change the topic to safer territory.

Pretending to roll her eyes, she asked, 'So where were you tonight anyway?'

'Well,' began Sirius with gusto, and he launched into an account of the Marauders' evening. James and Sirius had told Remus and Peter about Sirius' revolutionary idea, and they had spent the rest of the day planning the escapades of the years to come. After a few hours, they had snuck out to Hogsmeade to get some drinks (thus his current tipsy state), and the others had gone to bed a few hours later, leaving Sirius in the kitchen waltzing with the house elves.

When he finished his story, he noticed that Marlene's head had rolled to the side and she had slipped into unconsciousness. With a smile, he picked up her book, taking care to save the page as he admired the front cover, then scooped her up and carried her carefully to her dorm. Her head rested against his shoulder, and the unfamiliar weight created an alien feeling in his stomach, which of course he ignored. He slipped up the girls' staircase, having unlocked the secret of getting up without it turning into a slide years before, and silently tucked her into bed, careful not to wake her sleeping roommates. He placed the book next to her on the pillow, and without thinking pressed a kiss on her forehead, so light it was barely even contact but Marlene stirred in her sleep, her lips curving into a smile. Mentally saving the image of her curled up under her blankets, he crept away, grinning to himself, oblivious to a redheaded girl watching him with a knowing expression etched across her face.

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'Marlene!' She tried to ignore the persistent sounds coming from her best friend. 'MARLENE.'

'No, sleep, good', she replied as coherently as she could muster. 'I'll miss breakfast today, join you for the snowball fight.'

'You already did, it's 12 o'clock', the redhead replied officiously, pulling the blankets away from her friend. Marlene scowled, but reluctantly sat up. Had she really slept that long? Come to think of it, she didn't actually remember going to bed last night… She dismissed that though, knowing how unreliable her memory could be after a long day.

'How long have I got?'

'Half an hour. I wouldn't bother making yourself look presentable, I have a feeling the boys have something ghastly planned… Peter wouldn't stop giggling at breakfast.' At the mention of breakfast, Marlene's stomach rumbled. Lily, ever the saint, heard it and chucked her a piece of toast. 'Don't worry, I didn't forget you', she said, winking. 'Now come on, up!'

Forty-five minutes later, the two girls left the Gryffindor common room, wrapped up warmly in several layers and topped of with hats and scarves. Marlene, following Lily's advice, hadn't bothered with makeup, but her long blonde hair was twisted into a plait which snaked out of her hat and down her back. When they finally met the others outside, Remus and James had already enchanted a snowman to chase a red-faced Peter around, while Sirius cackled madly from the sidelines.

'Get him Frosty! Come on, you can do it!' He catcalled, tripping Peter up as he ran past so he face planted the snow, and Frosty danced victoriously on his back. The girls laughed, alerting the others to their presence, and James bounded over. He enveloped Marlene in a warm, affectionate hug, squishing her somewhat, then they broke apart and he bowed deeply to Lily, an impish smile on his face.

'My Lady, you are most welcome. I hope we do not alarm you with our roguish tomfoolery, I assure you it is all in jest.' He giggled as Lily pushed him into the snow, pretending to be embarrassed at his actions but secretly glowing. At that moment, Alice, Mary and Dorcas strolled over from where they had been making snow angels, completing the Gryffindor snowball team. James deftly fashioned a small platform of snow with a flick of his wand, then stood on it. 'Welcome', he began regally. 'My lords', pointing at Remus and Peter, 'ladies', gesturing flamboyantly to the girls, winking at Lily, 'and scallywags', he finished, scowling at Sirius. 'Today marks the first annual sixth year inter house snowball tournament! As Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, I have elected myself as leader.' This statement elicited cheers from the girls and Peter, and heckling from Sirius and Remus. 'Hush my brethren, hush. As the house renowned for its brave and chivalrous nature, it is our duty to win. That's why I have gathered you all an hour early, to practice. Namely you, Peter, because even Mary throws better than you!' This was met with sounds of indignance from both Mary and Peter, but James ignored them and divided everyone into pairs, unsurprisingly leaving him and Lily as partners.

From where Marlene stood, chucking snow at Remus' stomach, she could see Mary blush faintly as Sirius strutted over to her. Knowing of her friend's long time unrequited crush on him, she sighed inwardly, hoping he would behave himself. 'When are those two going to admit they love each other?'

Marlene looked up, startled at Remus speaking. She was confused momentarily, her thoughts still with Mary and Sirius, but then she saw Remus looking in the direction of Lily and James, and she understood. He was pelting her with snowballs, although with little gusto, given he didn't want to hurt her. She was responding more violently, and one hit him smack in the middle of the face, at which she ran forward, cupping his face gently in her hands, her face a picture of concern.

'You're right, this has been going on for way too long! I thought once she finally admitted that she doesn't hate him they'd be together in a matter of days. But no, she's too stubborn and he doesn't want to push her.' The blonde laughed despairingly at her two best friends, who were now wrestling in the snow. Remus nodded in agreement, then took advantage of her momentary lapse in concentration to throw a snowball directly into her face. She screeched as the snow melted slowly down her neck, then swore vengeance on him. He couldn't help but feel a little scared as she glowered at him; Marlene was a formidable enemy, he had seen evidence of it whenever anyone dared to comment on Lily or Mary's birth.

From a few metres away, Sirius gazed wistfully at the pair of them. When James had told him about the snowball fight, that was what he imagined; fighting, screaming, laughing and most importantly, winning. But stood with Mary, who was weakly throwing pathetically aimed snowballs in his general direction, he felt like this was anything but. He felt bad for her, but what could he do about it? For starters, the Gryffindor girls in their year were off limits to him. He knew that the second he touched one of them, James would be on his back, and he couldn't be bothered to deal with that. And secondly, she wasn't really his type. Not that he was picky, but he preferred girls with a bit of a spark in them! Mary was unfailingly nice, and loyal, but he could never argue with her or feel anything resembling passion towards her. No, he needed someone who would challenge him, who would require a chase. Preferably with a laugh like Marlene's, he thought, watching her fight Remus. He loved to hear her laugh, although he feared in recent months she hadn't as much. There was no need to ask why, everyone laughed less, but he missed it all the same.

He was interrupted from his reverie by Alice and Dorcas, who had tired of sitting on Peter, and were now livening up the party by ambushing Sirius. He grinned inwardly, and without a moments hesitation charged after them. Now this was a snowball fight!

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They had beaten Hufflepuff, and were halfway through the match with Ravenclaw. James was engaged in a somewhat fiery snow duel with Rory Abbott, and Sirius was prancing around, cackling as a group of girls chased him. Remus and Lily were stood to the side, both pelting Emeline Vance with little reserve; although the two Prefects would never admit it, they despised her. Sirius paused from his taunting to hide behind Mary and Alice, noticing as he did so that Marlene was blushing furiously as she threw half-hearted snowballs at Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain Amos Diggory. He raised an eyebrow, dismissed it and continued with his game.

'Nice shot McKinnon!' Marlene grinned as Diggory recovered from a well-aimed snowball to the gut. In her opinion, his fair hair looked even more like honey in the bright sunlight. 'Did you know, my father used to take me to our local Quidditch pitch to practice shooting every day when I was younger. That's probably why I became Captain so early!'

Next to them, Lily felt like gagging, but her disgust turned to despair when she saw Marlene swooning over the guy. 'So that's why my mum doesn't let us play on Christmas Day!' Amos finished his fascinating story while Marlene listened adoringly. It was funny; she never seemed to talk as much when she was with him. He did enough talking for the both of them, she supposed! Some people found it irritating, how he never really let a word in edgewise, but Marlene felt like she had become annoying with endless wittering recently, and she liked how he brought her back to her old, timid self, how she was before she met the Marauders.

Just as she was about to ask Amos more about his fascinating family, the whistle blew, announcing the end of the game, and Ravenclaw's win. Given Slytherin had beaten Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, Gryffindor would have to beat Slytherin, and Hufflepuff beat Ravenclaw, for Gryffindor to win, or so Lily explained. Despite Marlene's position on the Quidditch team, she had never really understood Hogwarts' way of point scoring; it seemed a bit hit and miss to her. Anyway, she drew herself back to where her team were convening to discuss tactics. For some reason, James and Sirius weren't involved in the discussion, but were stood a little way to the side, whispering conspiratorially, which she found odd. They were normally determined to be the centre of every circle.

It didn't take long to figure out what they were plotting. A few minutes into the Gryffindor vs Slytherin match, James turned around from his snow duel with Mulciber to nod at Remus, who in turn nodded at Sirius. The three of them drew their wands simultaneously, and waved them in the air, muttering various incantations as the snow swirled around them mysteriously. All of a sudden, the snow began to form shapes, which drifted to the ground and turned to face the Slytherins. It was a small army of frozen animals! Amongst the Gryffindors there now stood a seemingly random mix of wolves, dogs, deer and small rodents, all glaring menacingly at the opposing team. At a hand signal from James, they charged, pelting the Slytherins in snow, ruthlessly knocking them over, while the Gryffindor sixth years fell about laughing. Following their fleeing competition, the group slipped and skidded towards the frozen Black Lake, cheering on the enchanted snowflakes.

As Lily stepped thoughtlessly onto the ice and the last of the Slytherins made it to the other bank, Avery turned around and pointed 'Reducto' at the ice beneath her feet, a malicious glint in his eyes. From that moment, everything felt like slow motion. Sirius was vaguely aware of attempting and failing to stop a panicked James from jumping into the water after Lily, who hadn't yet resurfaced, while Marlene ushered everyone back from the slowly cracking ice. He hadn't even noticed that he was still standing a few metres away from the ground when he felt Marlene's cold fingers clasp his wrist, pulling him firmly towards safety. For some reason, her touch woke him up.

'JAMES!' He screamed. 'JAMES! PRONGS! LILY!' From the snow covered ground, he leaned over the water, searching for some sort of movement, his heart panicking at the thought of his two best friends lost beneath the reeds, and all he could think was _not James and Lily not James and Lily, _and Marlene was holding him back in her vice like grip, then suddenly a mop of black hair, and shortly after a head of red, popped up from the water and Sirius could breathe again.

They scrambled to the side, and Sirius pulled first Lily then James out of the water. Lily collapsed to the floor, coughing and unable to stand, while James knelt beside her, shuddering with relief. Seeing the redhead shiver on the floor, he somehow regained all his energy and lifted her up, heading purposefully towards the hospital wing. Lily's eyes fluttered towards him, and she frowned.

'I can walk very well for myself, Potter', she snapped, but she knew it wasn't true, so she just let him grin unabashedly down at her, and sunk into his arms, safe in the knowledge that he was there.

Sirius watched them walk away and groaned. 'Prank One went well, didn't it?' He joked to Remus, and the pair of them fell into relieved hysterics, laughing at the wasted hours which had gone into that surprising feat of magic.

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**Thank you for reading! I hope to update in the next week or so, but please don't hate me if I'm a little late! Please review, I'd love to hear what you think, good or bad.**

**Ella x**


	2. Cupid's Arrow - February 1977

**Hi Everyone! Sorry this has taken so long, I hope to update more quickly in the future. This one has less Blackinnon interaction but I promise much more in chapters to come!**

**Please review, and I hope you like it! Ella x**

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Marlene awoke on the 14th of February that year scowling. Sunlight streamed through the drapes surrounding her bed, and she squinted, fumbling around to smash the alarm clock which was beeping incessantly. It took her a good minute to find it and finally shut it up, and by that time her roommates were already up and about, disgustingly chirpy. Alice stood dreamily looking out of the window, absentmindedly playing with a note signed 'Love, Frank', while Lily grinned at the singing chocolates sent to her by James. Mary was surrounded by flowers from her various admirers, putting on a brave face as she realised none of them were from Sirius. Only Dorcas, steady, level headed Dorcas, looked even remotely sane this morning.

'I hate Valentine's Day', she grunted to Marlene. 'It's the only day of the year when I'm not happy to be single.'

Marlene nodded sympathetically. 'How are we going to deal with these three love birds all day?' This was met from denial from Lily, blushing from Alice and dismissal from Mary.

'I'm NOT a love bird', insisted the redhead.

'Oh really', sang Mary, snatching the card from Lily's box of chocolates. 'Then what's this?'

'It's just a silly, platonic joke! I was telling him how ridiculous this holiday is, so he's obviously sent it to me to be irritating.'

Mary grinned victoriously. 'So why are you smiling like a love-sick fool?' Lily was about to protest, but noticed how her cheeks were stretched out wide, seemingly unable to relax, so instead, she shut up and started getting her books ready for the day, still smiling.

Now her roommates had stopped acting like idiots, almost, Marlene was able to take in the empty space at the foot of her bed. She sighed. There was absolutely no reason why Amos Diggory would think to give her a Valentines card, but that didn't change the fact that last night she had fallen asleep dreaming that he would. As she slipped out of bed and began getting dressed for the day, Alice piped up.

'Marlene! Ooh Marlene, look!' The blonde looked at where her friend was pointing, to see that on the floor, where she had probably kicked it while hunting for her alarm clock, was a small red envelope. Immediately, her mind jumped to Amos, and she scrambled to pick it up. Lily raised an eyebrow at her eagerness, but silently watched while Marlene pulled out the shiny gold card and opened it up. She groaned.

It read: 'McKinnon. Nice arse. Love Sirius', finished off with a badly scribbled paw-print.

'I hate him.' Lily picked up the card, read it, and walked to the bathroom laughing. Today was going to be good.

Meanwhile, Marlene slumped onto the pillows, scowling again. Today was going to be awful.

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Sirius awoke on the 14th of February that year grinning. He leapt out of bed, ignoring his alarm, and strode purposefully over to James, on whom he sat.

'James! James darling, happy Valentines Day!' James groaned, then sat up, panic stricken.

'It was too much! She's going to hate me! Oh god it'll be like 5th year again. What have I done?' He wailed. From across the room, Remus yelled at the both of them to shut up. James forlornly moved about his daily business, as did Sirius, with somewhat more energy.

'Jimmy? Can I borrow the cloak? I want to check up on the house elves, make sure they're still on board with PRANK NUMBER TWO!' Remus buried his head beneath his pillow as Sirius yelled the last three words, but the two dominant Marauders ignored him.

'Sure', grunted James from the bathroom. Without so much as a 'thank you', Sirius grabbed the cloak and waltzed out of the room, picking up a red envelope as he did so. After spending last night debating this, he finally decided to give it to her; it was just a laugh anyway, she'd know it didn't mean anything! Once outside of the boys' dorm, he threw the cloak over himself and crept over to the girls'. Inconspicuously slipping through the door, which Mary had left open, he surveyed the scene. Marlene and Dorcas were sulking on the blonde's bed; Sirius noticed, to his surprise, that it was devoid of gifts. What kind of guys neglected someone like McKinnon? While he stared, aghast, at this tragedy, Mary began teasing Lily about something. He missed most of that conversation, because he was trying to place the envelope somewhere where Marlene could easily have dropped it without noticing, but stood up just as Mary called Lily a 'lovesick fool' or something along those lines. Turning to face the door, he couldn't help but want to see her reaction. Would she laugh? Burn it? Simper? He wasn't expecting her to be simply disappointed, that's for sure, but there was no doubt she felt that way from her face after she read the card. A small part, deep within Sirius, growled 'Diggory'. He needs bringing down a peg or two, he thought. Smiling to himself, he tiptoed away. Today was going to be interesting.

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When the sixth years took their places at the Gryffindor table, the Great Hall was decorated with it's usual splendour; pink hearts floating beneath the cloudy sky, and flowers adorning each table. Everything about the morning was as it should be; Alice and Frank staring lovingly into eachother's eyes, Lily and James pretending not to stare lovingly into eachother's eyes, and Marlene, Remus and Sirius eating their breakfasts in quiet companionship. In fact, nothing out of the ordinary happened until the last of the pancakes dematerialised in front of the well-fed teenagers. It was at that moment that the doors to the Great Hall burst open, revealing a collection of house elves dressed as wrinkly cupids. They released tiny little arrows into the hall, hitting an apparently random selection of students. Lily was among those hit, and her green doe eyes lit immediately upon Sirius, her normally pale cheeks flushed. James growled.

'Sirius, you promised!' The Marauder in question cackled, even more so when he saw Amos Diggory being caught on the nose by a particularly sharp arrow. He shook himself, standing up with a bemused expression,and as his face returned to his normal stature his jaw dropped open, taking in the apparently marvelous sight of Marlene wiping pumpkin juice of her chin. She stiffened under his gaze, her head cocked slightly to the side until the penny dropped and she turned to glare at Sirius instead.

He was reclining on the benches, reveling in Lily's attention, and did not seem to be the slightest bit concerned as his two Quidditch teammates loomed threateningly over him. An unspoken agreement passed between the two lifelong friends, and they moved in unison to take their seats back at the table, leaving Sirius with an increasing feeling of foreboding.

Luckily, he had done one thing right; Alice and Frank were still simpering at each other, having both been hit by arrows at the same time. All of a sudden, Marlene began to giggle.

'Look at McGonagall!' she gasped, pointing at the aged Transfiguration teacher, who was blushing like a schoolgirl at everything Professor Slughorn said. The headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, seemed more amused by anyone else at this new development, and was sending his colleagues encouraging winks. Reminded by a large crash - Mulciber throwing himself across tables at a Ravenclaw Prefect - that he was supposed to be in charge, he stood up at took control.

'Students! Your attention please. In light of this irresponsible prank, I must ask you to return to your dormitories as quickly as possible so we can repair the damage.' Despite his authoritative words, the sharp blue of his wrinkled eyes was emitting a gentle twinkle. At his instruction, the sound of benches scraping backwards filled the Great Hall, and the students began filtering out, far less composedly that was usual. As Marlene exited behind Sirius, who was parading Lily around victoriously in front of James, Diggory bounded over to her.

'Marlene', he began, sounding breathless. 'I was wondering if - well, more of a hope, really, because what could you see in a wizard like me? Anyway, I was hoping that you'd maybe want to accompany me to Hogsmeade next Saturday?' Marlene, despite her better instincts, blushed. What would she give for him to be saying this outside of his current mental predicament? But she shook herself, switching into practical mode. She had read somewhere that rejecting someone under a love enchantment can often end violently, so it is better to humour them until they can be dealt with by professionals. For this reason, and absolutely not at all because of the tiny butterflies throwing a carnival in her stomach, she responded with a tentative nod before scuttling off to join her housemates, only allowing herself one backwards glance at his goofy lopsided grin.

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Back in Gryffindor Tower, Sirius was under attack, his assailants undeterred by Lily's feeble attempts to protect her newfound love; in her giddiness, she had somehow forgotten her superior magical abilities, and was instead pushing tiny fists against anyone who tried to hurt him. Marlene managed to detain her, and while James held the redhead back she pinned Sirius up against the wall.

'Is it your permanent goal to completely humiliate me?' She snarled at him, somehow intimidating him, even though he stood a good six inches above her. 'You know I like him, why would you want to make things worse?' The last bit was hissed into his ear, outside of the earshots of others, while she kept her body pressed against him to prevent any thoughts of escape.

Meanwhile, Sirius's stomach was doing backflips. Escape was the last thing on his mind! Flames danced in her normally soft eyes, and he gulped as he focused on not bending his lips any closer to hers. He had noticed, incidentally, that they looked even more tempting than usual, bright red from the lip biting he knew she did when she was under any stress at all. At that thought, he allowed himself a moment of regret. It was unfair of him, to cause her pain in his bid for revenge against Diggory, he knew that. But the moment quickly passed, and he took control of the situation, turning her around so it was her back pressed against the wall, and his pinned either side of her. Taking advantage of her momentary lapse in composure, he leaned down and whispered in her ear.

'Just doing you a favour, Marls. Thought it would be good for you to see what a tool he is when he's not too busy talking about 'Daddy'.' His breath teased at her neck, tracing pathways of heat and energy then leaving her cold as he stepped away, his eyes filled with triumph and power, and a trace of something else. Could it be desire? She pushed the thought into the back of her mind, gave him one last withering look and stormed out of the portrait hole, while everyone surrounding the pair stood silent, rendered briefly motionless as they attempted to comprehend the pulsing tension which reverberated long after Marlene's exit.

Unfortunately for her, waiting for her outside was none other than Amos Diggory. She inwardly groaned, but allowed herself a moment of weakness as she moved towards him. He frowned heatedly down at her, sending shivers down her spine.

'I couldn't stay away.' Gone was the bumbling fool from earlier, replaced instead by a deep, huskily voiced man, staring at her with such an agonizing intensity that she couldn't help but curve closer to him until they were almost touching.

'You couldn't?' Her question was a murmur, as the technicality that he was under an enchantment was banished from her mind. For a second, all she was aware of was Amos, his eyes finally watching her with the passion she deserved, until he pressed his lips firmly against her, challenging her to a fierce battle of the tongues.

Surprisingly, rather than the heart-pounding, ferocious chemistry she had always anticipated when she considered this moment, she felt… Nothing. His hands brushed clumsily around her, while the angry pressure from his lips felt more like a battering than anything remotely romantic. How was it that barely two sentences exchanged with Sirius could illicit a more lively physical response from her than an actual kiss from the man she had actual feelings for?

Bemused, and gasping for air, she pushed him away, momentarily putting her lack of response down to his enchantment. 'You need to go', she pleaded, knowing she sounded pathetic but suddenly aware of the danger of involving yourself with someone under the influence of magic. Luckily, he took that as a promise of more, later, and backed away slowly, still feasting on her with his eyes.

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The next morning, the Gryffindors awoke with less enthusiasm. Lily groaned, still getting over yesterday's humiliation, and pondering over how best to apologise to James without actually admitting any wrongdoing; it wouldn't do to let him think he had any hold over her, would it? Marlene was also conflicted. Would Amos remember anything that had happened yesterday? And what on earth was she going to do about the knowing looks Remus had been sending her ever since her and Sirius' performance in the Common Room?

Meanwhile, the boys dressed for the day in silence. Sirius was still grinning at his achievements, but had lost his best friend for the day as James considered which punishment would be most appropriate, and Remus and Peter knew never to interrupt when the two of them were having one of their lovers' spats. They all trudged to breakfast together, everyone's thoughts elsewhere, until Marlene's path was blocked by an apologetic Diggory. She started, looking into his eyes in a shameless search for something reminiscent of the ferocity which had been there yesterday, but was disappointed.

'Marlene, I just wanted to apologise for yesterday. I don't remember anything that happened, but some of the guys have said that I asked you to Hogsmeade! I hope you weren't offended and I didn't do anything to insult you, and I want to assure you that I have not the slightest intention of taking you on a date so you needn't worry about that!' His words were meant to be a comfort, but Marlene felt a sinking feeling as she realised his complete and utter lack of interest in her. Behind his back, Sirius was doing a rude mime, satirising Amos' pompous mannerisms, which lifted her spirits somewhat. In true McKinnon fashion, she regained her senses.

'Oh, that's not a problem, Diggory', she said, flashing him a winning smile. 'I'm just glad you didn't do anything to embarrass yourself!' She sauntered past him with a snicker, while Sirius looked on with respect at her ability to turn every situation to her advantage.

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**Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it, and if not I'd be happy to hear why.**

**Ella x**


	3. Spring Is Here - March 1977

**Hey guys, I've completely given up on being a regular updater, but here's Chapter 3. A bit sappy in places, but I hope you enjoy, and please review!**

**Ella x**

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Gradually, the snow melted. The skies grew clearer every day, and students were forced to make the trek down to the Greenhouses once more. The air was still cold, still bit at the flashes of skin exposed to the world, but there was a lightness to it. Everything sparkled under the gaze of the sun, and occasional downpours made the castle rattle with sound, as the students looked contentedly out of the windows, glad to be inside.

At least, those of them who were inside did. During one of these downpours, James had dragged Marlene, Sirius and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team out to practice. He had allowed them a brief break after Christmas, but it was now March, and the final match of the year against Ravenclaw was looming in just over a month. And so it was, that on one gloomy Thursday evening, after two hours of continuous plays, drills, laps and stunts, Marlene and Sirius were elected to help James pack away the equipment while the rest of the team fled back to the castle in the rising storm. While James and Sirius chatted animatedly about their prospects in the upcoming match, having to shout a little over the roar of the rain, Marlene remained uncharacteristically pensive. Finally clipping the second Bludger into its position in the chest, and slamming it shut, she lifted her head up to the heavens and stood, letting the rain fall relentlessly onto her face, which was set with a slight smile despite her bedraggled appearance. The ponytail which her hair had been scraped back into had come loose after chasing the snitch around, and it now fell sloppily around her shoulders, the rain seeping through her curls into her already soaked Quidditch robes. She stayed in that position for a while, aware of nothing but herself and the clouds, until the boys returned from lugging the balls back into the cupboard, bringing her floating back down to reality.

'Mar?' Called James, across the pitch. She didn't reply, but cast a serene smile in their direction. 'Come on, it's almost curfew and I don't want you out here by yourself'. Memories of the attacks which had been increasing in number startled her into moving towards her teammates, knowing only too well what a gang of wannabe Death Eaters would do to 'blood traitor McKinnon' if she was caught alone, without her usual crowd of Marauders. She caught up with them as they began their ascent up the hill, noticing they had been walking at a ridiculously slow pace to wait for her. The rain continued, but they continued onwards at a dawdle, content in their companionship and clinging onto the desperate belief that Quidditch really was all that mattered, not the war or the deaths or any of it. In keeping with this wishful thinking, Sirius turned to the blonde next to him.

'So, you know what date it is today?' He asked, his lips curling up into a grin.

She smiled back at him. 'Of course, it's March the 3rd. Why do you ask?' She knew exactly why he was asking, but wanted him to admit that he'd remembered.

'I don't know, just the minor detail that it's your birthday tomorrow… You excited?' His voice was optimistic, used to the excitement and childishness that came with Marlene's birthday every year, but he was met with a less enthusiastic response than expected.

'I guess so', was her monotonous reply. When both boys turned to her, aghast, she elaborated. 'Mum and Dad always used to make a big deal out of birthdays. They'd take me out of school for a big family dinner, and it would be so much fun! And they still do it now, but it's just awkward, pretending to still be a family, when I know Dad would rather it was his girlfriend there. So I told them not to bother this year, that I was too busy with work and I'd see them at Easter.' James draped a comforting arm around his oldest friend, knowing how difficult her parents' divorce had been for the whole family, and how long it took her to finally accept they wouldn't be together again. Attempting to lighten the mood, she added, 'And who wants a birthday stuck in lessons? I 'd give anything to just be outside for the day!'

Sirius latched onto this more lighthearted train of thought. 'I'm not sure McGonagall would accept 'it's Marlene's birthday' as an excuse for the Gryffindor Sixth Years missing lessons tomorrow.'

'Perhaps not', lamented James. 'How unreasonable of her! Maybe she'd let us take them outside?' This idea elicited a giggle from Marlene, imagining Slughorn teaching Potions from a tree. She stretched up onto her tiptoes to wrap an arm around each of the boys' shoulders, as a way of showing her appreciation for cheering her up. Exchanging a look, they moved simultaneously to lift her legs up so she was sat on their shoulders instead. She shrieked, but didn't stop them, enjoying the privilege of being paraded up to the castle in such a fashion. Such was her delight that she didn't hear Sirius whisper to James across her knees.

'Petition to move Prank Three forward to tomorrow?'

'Petition granted', was the Quidditch Captain's loyal reply, a mischievous smirk appearing on both of their faces.

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As the inhabitants of Hogwarts slowly drifted to sleep that night, they were unaware of anything out of the ordinary. Lily tucked Marlene's present out of sight, ready to be presented to her tomorrow, while the friend in question curled up and tried to be excited about the day ahead. One by one, the lights were blown out as last minute homework assignments were completed, hair was plaited and curtains drawn. As far as anyone was aware, it was perfectly normal evening. But if anyone had been to visit the Marauders' dormitory, they would have found four empty beds. That in itself was not an unusual occurrence; at least once a month they would all for some reason be absent, and normally only three of them made it to breakfast the next morning. No, the unusual thing was that the night before the 4th of March, 1977, was not a full moon, so the Marauders would usually be tucked up safe and sound in their beds. Instead, they were creeping about the castle under cover of darkness, or under an invisibility cloak, casting whispered incantations before stealing away back up Gryffindor Tower.

As the castle slept, no one heard anything unusual. If they did, they dismissed the peaceful rustling as the wind blowing around the old stone walls, rather than considering for one moment that it could be leaves.

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Something was tickling Marlene's nose.

'Lily! Get off.' From across the room, characteristically dressed before any of her friends were even awake, Lily grinned.

'It's not me, Marly. It's your first birthday present! From the Marauders, I'll bet. Open your eyes!'

Filled with the warm feeling that even her broken home couldn't completely destroy when she woke up on her birthday, Marlene fluttered two eyes open, squinting at the shards of sunlight scattered through the trees. She sat up abruptly.

'Why are we in a jungle?' Looking closer, she noticed that she had not, in fact, moved. No, the girls' dormitory had simply been decorated; vines cascaded from the tops of their four-poster beds, entangling themselves in the curtains, while the floor was littered in ancient, knotted roots, which looked more like the fruits of centuries of growth than the work of one night. And in the centre of the room, surrounded by leaf-decked branches, was a great oak tree, just like the one she, James and her brothers had built a treehouse in, all those years ago. Her big blue eyes welled up with tears as she smiled to herself. She was barely awake, and her birthday was already exceeding expectations!

The girls dressed in haste, Mary struggling to retain her school skirt which had somehow made its way to the uppermost branch of the oak, while the others showered Marlene in hugs and well-wishes. Over the last six years, being a dorm full of girls, they had had their fair share of drama, including fights over boys, lost makeup brushes and Prefect positions, but time had served them well. Now they worked as a team, and the whole school knew that the sixth-year Gryffindor girls were a force to be reckoned with, unrivaled by any but their very own classmates, the legendary Marauders.

These classmates were gathered at the foot of the girls' stairs, leaning casually on tree trunks as they grinned expectantly at the birthday girl. She did not disappoint, running squealing into James' arms with cries of 'Thank you, thank you, thank you!' He grinned, patting her back fondly as he returned her feet to the ground, and released her as she hugged the rest of the Marauders in turn, offering Sirius a small smile before he whispered in her ear.

'Behold: Prank number two'. She frowned up at him.

'You're losing your game! I thought your pranks used to be about ridicule and riot? You've simply given the castle a spring clean.' The boys chuckled, and Remus stepped up to explain.

'These clutzes finally figured out that the way to a certain female's heart wasn't through torment, and they've stepped up to create a year-and-a-bit's worth of pranks which do nothing but entertain and inspire.' With that, he offered Marlene his arm, and they led the procession down to the Great Hall, Dorcas swinging on the branches as she went to the great amusement of Alice, who heckled her with shouts of 'Swing higher, Dorky! I didn't quite see your knickers that time!'

Lily held back, waiting for James, who was tying his shoelaces just outside the portrait hole. 'This was a good thing you did, Potter, I'm impressed! Not just because of the wandwork, although I must admit it's remarkable, but, well...' She looked down, blushing. 'It was actually quite thoughtful of you'.

James positively beamed. 'Someone taught me it's better to think of others than against them. But I can't take credit for this, it was all Sirius! I don't know how he knew about her thing for trees, but he was adamant that we did this for her.' Lily smiled knowingly, glancing ahead at their handsome friend, who was enchanting the leaves to sway in the breeze in the wake of an ecstatic Marlene.

'How odd', she replied, after a pause, thinking that really there was nothing odd about it at all.

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Despite the minor disruption caused by the temporary forest which had taken root all over the school, lessons went on as normal to the despair of almost all of the students. The day dragged on, brightened by presents and cards, including a new broom cleaning kit from the team and a hilarious pair of singing dragon slippers from Lily, until finally double Charms drew to an end and the sixth-years were free to enjoy the sunshine.

As they left the classroom, Marlene was stopped by a slightly disgruntled Amos Diggory.

'Happy Birthday, Marlene'. Even though he was the one supposed to be embarrassed, her cheeks flushed as she smiled coquettishly and thanked him, before whisking out of the door.

Watching, Sirius muttered to Remus, 'How can she still be into that guy? After he acted like such a prick on Valentine's Day!' Ignoring his friend's reasonable response that it was actually his own fault for making Diggory into a prick on Valentine's Day, he sauntered off, leaving Remus with a smile not unlike the one Lily had worn earlier.

The Gryffindor classmates regrouped outside by the Black Lake, draping themselves across branches in the shade, while a few of the more liberal girls (Mary and Dorcas) stripped down to their bras and shorts to tan. Watching them, Lily pulled the sleeves of her robes further down, wishing she could carelessly expose herself in the same way. James saw her fidgeting, and sat closer to her, deftly capturing her attention with his unconventional sense of humour. From an upper branch, Marlene grinned, glad to see that her friend had someone who was so clearly understanding, and able to distract her from her insecurities.

Sirius bounded gracefully up the tree and sat down next to her, knocking her with his shoulder to distract her, and handed her a small, badly wrapped parcel. With big eyes, she unwrapped it to find a packet of Sugar Quills. 'Watching you suck on them in lessons is pretty hot', he explained, ignoring her disapproving smirk. 'Happy birthday Marls, I know they're your favourite'.

'Thank you', she smiled contentedly up at him. He shrugged it off, making a noncommittal sound. 'Seriously Sirius, I know it was you.' They both chuckled at the pun, despite its overuse.

'No, it was a group effort. Besides, James is the one who knows about your weird tree thing, not me!' His fit of modesty was highly unusual, so Marlene gave him an odd look before continuing.

'Actually, I told you about it. Remember, the Potter's Christmas party last year? I told you that I hated how few trees there were in the castle, you told me that made no sense, but that you'd get me a tree for my birthday.'

'I remember literally none of that', replied Sirius. 'Did I subconsciously keep a promise? I don't even consciously keep promises!' Marlene giggled, then leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

'Whatever it was, I appreciate it. You made my day.' And before she could see Sirius turn a bright shade of crimson, she slipped down the tree to join Lily, James and Peter, who had started a premature water fight, and were shivering in the cold lake water.

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**Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you thought, good or bad.**

**Ella x**


	4. Colours of the Rainbow - April 1977

The clock swung back and forth. A breeze ruffled a pile of parchment. The room felt as if everyone was holding their breath, gazing out of the window rather than facing the front of the classroom. Professor McGonagall could feel their frustration, but really there was little she could and would do about it; NEWTs were only a year away. Acquiescing, she set them some practical work, at which point they rose somewhat out of their stupors and began waving wands in vain.

As usual, the first to complete the assignment were the Marauders, lounging on the back row. Unheard over the raucous of their classmates, Remus whispered to Sirius,

'Do you think it's time for some slightly trickier wand work?' Sirius grinned, gesturing to the others, and as a unit they cast an enchantment over the room, James sending his into the corridor where the sparks shot off in all directions.

At first, nothing happened. Then, Lily shrieked as her wand turned a bright, shimmering gold. All around the room, wands and desks and anything anyone was touching turned different colours, creating pandemonium. Alice gasped as her perfected notes became a shocking pink, while across the room McGonagall suppressed a smile when her glasses flashed green. She couldn't deny such elegant charmwork, now, could she?

Slowly, heads turned towards the boys at the back, who were grinning proudly at their success. Dorcas was the first to speak.

'You,' she growled, 'are the reason I can no longer read my notes!'

'Oh come on, Dorky, it's your fault for writing in your favourite colour', responded Peter jovially. Everyone else, excluding the masterminds, looked confused.

'Um, what?' Asked Marlene, which prompted a laughing explanation from Sirius.

'Everything you touch turns your favourite colour, which is why Dorcas' parchment now matches her favourite dark blue ink. I'm interested to see that your robes have turned the exact colour I was wearing last week, Marlene; I doubt that's a coincidence', he finished with a chortle. She just rolled her eyes, knowing full well Sirius would never be seen dead in bright turquoise.

The discussion would have continued, considering Dorcas' angry expression, had McGonagall not interrupted them.

'CLASS! That's quite enough excitement, so now if you would please return your attention to the pressing matter at hand – Goldhart's Theory of Transition.' The class groaned, but slowly returned to their seats.

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Later at lunch, the sixth years were still revelling in the colour explosion. All around the room, students were eating orange and maroon chicken legs, while the ghosts flashed pink and yellow as they passed through the students. Lily and Sirius were entertaining themselves by making James' hair match the Gryffindor house colours; both Lily's gold and Sirius' red were the exact shade of the drapes hanging from the ceiling above their table. Lily pondered this; what are the chances of their favourite colours being Gryffindor? But when she thought about it, it made a lot of sense. Both she and Sirius had found their homes here in a way none of the others could understand; she felt loved away from the sister who hated her powers, and he felt safe knowing no one here would force him into a life of hate. Smiling to herself, she watched the boys she had come to care for so much squabble over what colour Remus' tie should take.

Across the table, Marlene was more subdued. Thanks the coming exams, her train wreck of a love life and the ever looming threat of war, she couldn't quite get into the playful mood. While everyone else seemed to be having a colourful celebration, she couldn't take her eyes of the headlines from the morning paper.

_**MUGGLE PRISON DESTROYED. 6 AURORS KILLED IN STRUGGLE**_

How, she pondered, could anyone be laughing when such atrocities were happening not far outside Hogwarts' very walls? It made her sick to think of the mangled bodies littering the ruins of the prison. Even if they were criminals, they surely didn't deserve to be killed as pawns in someone else's war. She was trying not to think about the 6 aurors who were killed trying to defend these muggles. She had checked the list, and it was no one she knew, but what about the next time? Or the time after that? Many of her friends had parents in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and she dreaded the inevitable morning when she would wake up and see the surname of someone she loves plastered across the front page, and hear the strangled screams of grief coming from one of her best friends. It was almost too much to bear, and no one else seemed to be affected at all.

Sirius leaned over, turning the paper an appropriate shade of red, at which she glared, refusing to look up at him.

'What's up, Princess? Don't tell me you don't think we've done a good job here.'

'What's the point?' She spat back. 'Why bother making everyone laugh for a day? We're all going to die as soon as we leave anyway.' Sirius made his way over to her side of the table and sat down next to her, his usual swagger replaced with genuine concern.

'Marls, that's exactly why we need to make people laugh. If today was your last day on earth, would you want it to be spent wallowing in grief for people you didn't even know, or would you want to spend it having fun with your friends? We're just trying to spread a little light here, otherwise what are we even fighting for?'

'We're fighting so that things like this', she gestured to the paper, 'don't have to happen. Sirius, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but it's just all feeling a little much today. I'm going to the library, see you at dinner?' He nodded and returned to the festivities as she walked away, but when he laughed at Peter shovelling purple carrots down his throat it didn't quite seem to reach his eyes.

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No one saw Marlene at dinner. The girls gave each other questioning glances which were then shared with the boys, but when no one had an answer they sat down to eat all the same, trusting in their reliable friend that she would be down in a bit, and if not there would be a sensible reason. The afternoon had been a peaceful one; most of the sixth years had free periods on a Wednesday, and had spent it either catching up on their heavy workload, in Lily and Alice's case, plotting their next excursion, in Peter, Sirius and James' case, or trying to get ahead in all their classes, as Remus was still doing in preparation for the coming Full Moon. All in all, everyone was far more muted than they had been that morning, and they were so wrapped up in their various tasks that none of them noticed when Sirius snuck out of the room.

He debated trying the common room first, but knew full well that if Marlene was skipping dinner, she didn't want to be found, and that was the last place she would be. He stopped off at the library on the way up to the Astronomy Tower, but when both proved unsuccessful he made one last attempt. Leaning all his weight on the heavy door up to the Owlery, it creaked open to reveal Marlene sitting on one of the highest perches, staring out over the grounds. She saw him come in and gave him a small smile, then gestured to the space next to her. In a few seconds he was up there, slightly proud of his climbing but mostly focused on the person in front of him.

'You said you'd see me at dinner, Princess. I don't like being let down', he reprimanded, although she could see he was joking.

'I wasn't hungry. And don't call me Princess. Where did that come from, anyway?' He smirked.

'Well, you hold yourself like highborn royalty, you know, the way they stick their chins out just a little bit too high, so I thought it was appropriate.' She shoved him, protesting, and he had to grab at one of the beams to stop him from falling twenty feet down. 'Careful, Princess!' She just rolled her eyes and sat back, watching the sun set behind the mountains. They sat there in silence, enjoying the beauty of the moment together, until Marlene spoke up.

'Sorry about earlier, I just…' She searched for the right words. 'Everything seems so wrong at the moment, you know? I can't find it in me to pretend that it doesn't.' He slipped an arm around her back, pulling her in so her head rested on his chest.

'Marls, no one knows better than me how catastrophically awful the world we're living in is at the moment. But that doesn't mean everything is wrong! You have so much going for you, Princess. Other than the fact that you're surrounded by some of the best friends in the world, you're also a genius, fine as hell and a damn good person, and that's not something you come across every day.' She gave him a half smile, but didn't move.

'You'll laugh at me if I tell you what else is bothering me,' she said, in a small, whiny voice which was so un-Marlene Sirius almost laughed.

'Try me.'

She scowled. 'Well, I know I dodged a bullet with the whole Amos thing, but it doesn't make it any less crappy! I mean, he goes for about anyone and he barely even looked at me until SOMEONE fed him a love potion. What does that say about me? I know it's stupid, but I just feel so lonely at the moment. All of my friends seem to have someone, and I'm worried that it's going to stay that way our whole lives.' At this point, Sirius did laugh.

'Come on, Marlene! Did you not hear me? You're fine as hell! If you think you're going to be alone for the rest of your life you're an idiot. Who wouldn't love you?' She leaned away, shaking her head, but he just grabbed her hand. 'You're going to find someone who loves your weird, lanky fingers', he murmured, sliding his thumb over her wrist. She felt her breath catch as he brushed back and forth over her skin, both of them watching the shards of red spiral down her arm. He continued speaking. 'Someone who loves your crazy lion hair', leaving a scarlet streak spreading all the way down to the golden tips. He took his fingers out of her hair and let them rest on her thigh, just below the pleated hemline of her skirt, and her hand came down to join his there. As red fought against blue, turning Marlene's leg bizarre shade of purple, he whispered, 'someone who loves your insanely long legs.'

Marlene was still staring at the colours until the awareness of Sirius' face, leaning so close to hers as they watched, made her tentatively look up. He did too, and for a moment blue eyes met grey before he closed the gap between them with one small movement and she felt his lips on his; forceful, gentle, teasing. Her mouth opened as she snaked her hands around his neck, pulling him closer, and they fought with each other, him tugging on her lower lip between her teeth as she climbed onto him, wrapping her legs around him until she was looking down on him, both of them gasping for air. They gazed at each other for a second, unspoken questions hanging in the air like dust in the summer, then he lifted up his chin to catch her mouth with his, using one hand on her waist to coax her down so she was on top of him while the other slid further up past the bottom of her skirt. It was from this precarious position, lying on top of each other on one of the wide beams across the Owlery, that they then almost fell, forcing Sirius to sit himself, and Marlene, up, clinging to each other as they laughed.

'Um', summarised Sirius, breaking the silence. 'What just happened?'

Marlene shrugged. 'We should get back', she said, ignoring his question but for a small smile, her eyes glinting wickedly.

They helped each other down from their perch, and wandered casually back to Gryffindor Tower, remembering as they climbed through the portrait hole to let go of each other's hands. Silently they agreed not to tell anyone about what had happened, at least not until they had it figured out themselves.

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**Please let me know what you think!**

**Ella x**


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